Sweden. City of Gothenburg

Date of agreement:30 Jun 2017
Country:Sweden
Customer:City of Gothenburg
Amount in SEK:SEK 1,000 million
Amount in EUR:EUR 103.68 million
Maturity:20 years
NACE sector / loan type:Land transport

Project

The loan has been provided for financing the construction of the Hisingsbron, or Hising Bridge, over the Göta River at the city of Gothenburg, Sweden.

The Hising Bridge will link Gothenburg’s centre to the Älvstaden district, contributing to denser urban development on both river banks. The new connection will replace the ageing Göta älv Bridge, which will be demolished due to its deteriorating condition.

The new bridge is expected to help accommodate the estimated increase in public transportation of 26% over the next 20 years, and will be accessible to both pedestrians and cyclists. Construction began in 2016, and is expected to be completed in 2021.

The project is part of the West Sweden Package, an initiative launched by the city of Gothenburg and the Swedish state together with the regions of Västra Götaland and Halland. The Package aims to promote sustainable growth, which includes the expansion of the public transport system in the region.

Gothenburg is Sweden’s second-largest city, with approximately 550,000 residents living in its larger metropolitan area. Located on the country’s west coast in close proximity to Copenhagen and Oslo, the city is an important transport hub. About 30% of Swedish foreign trade passes through the Port of Gothenburg.

Fulfilment of NIB's mandate

Competitiveness:

The Hising Bridge will be lower than the existing Göta älv Bridge, which will free up approximately 70,000 m2 of land in central Gothenburg that will be used for housing, offices, retail and redevelopment of the nearby central railway station. Furthermore, the new bridge is expected to ensure a more efficient urban mobility system by reducing travel times, accommodating an increasing number of commuters and improving accessibility for pedestrians and cyclists.

Environment:

The key environmental impacts associated with the bridge construction are noise, water pollution and air quality, as well as wider effects such as the impact on ship traffic. Due to the lower height of the bridge, more passing ships will require opening and thus conflict with the road traffic. However, as most car traffic is expected to be diverted into the Tingstad tunnel and the planned Marieholm tunnel underneath the Göta River in the future, the impact on emissions over time is likely to be insignificant.

Sustainability summary

To ensure smooth traffic flow on the bridge and on the river, the city of Gothenburg is required to install a traffic-adaptive control system. During the construction period, mitigating measures will be implemented to limit the impact on the water environment. The project is assessed to have no negative long-term effects on sensitive areas.

Press release
30.06.2017

NIB finances new bridge infrastructure in Gothenburg

Press release

NIB finansierar ny broinfrastruktur i Göteborg

Related resources

Article

10.5.2021

The City of Gothenburg opens new bridge